“Hi, Ren” Examined (Pt. 2: The Reactions)
Watching the Reaction Videos to “Hi, Ren” Is Helping Me Fall (Back) In Love with Humanity
Watching the Reaction Videos to “Hi, Ren” Is Helping Me Fall (Back) In Love with Humanity
Note: This is Part II in a three-part series on musician Ren Gill, his musical and visual masterpiece “Hi, Ren,” and the impact he is having on people. Part I was an overview, Part II, this one, is focused on the Reaction Videos to “Hi, Ren,” and Part III examines the deeper psychological and spiritual meaning of “Hi, Ren.”
Since I was a small child, I’ve been able to love people of all shapes, sizes, and types. Twice, however, that love has been challenged big time.
The first was in my early 20s when my illusions about the ways of the world were shattered too quickly and I fell into cynicism and tried to drown my pain with mind-altering substances. The second was over the past few years when people I thought I’d built solid friendships with over many years began to disown me because my reaction to the COVID-19 situation was different than theirs.
Fortunately, in this second instance, I was thrown a life preserver in the form of the genre known as Reaction Videos. Music has always been a salve for my wounded heart, and throughout 2020 watching this man‘s generous soul and sharing his love for music as he discovered songs I’ve long cherished helped keep me from falling back into the dark cynicism of my early 20s. His motto, “Be a good human” is one I do my best with, and it’s also one I keep in mind when I find others for the first time, believing that at our core we are all beautiful, unique beings worthy of love and respect.
That said, I’m not perfect. I was reminded of that several days into my three-week burrow through the glorious rabbit hole of reaction videos to the musical and visual masterpiece, “Hi, Ren.” You see, after watching a series of these reaction videos I had the thought, “Watching these reaction videos is helping me fall (back) in love with humanity.”
And then, on the very next video I viewed, of this mother and her son, that thought was put to the test when I found myself judging the mother. For no good reason, I was struggling to feel that love for her. This woman hadn’t done anything to me. But there I was, looking down on her. I’m far, far from perfect, and my heart is far, far from completely open. That’s okay. It hurts to say, but I admit it.
So I continued to watch. The first beautiful thing was connecting with the son’s embarrassment at the start when Ren is, as she puts it, doing his “Mary Poppins thing.” You see, I can clearly remember being a teen and sharing music that meant something to me with my parents and feeling embarrassed when they didn’t react as positively as I had. So, for that first part of the song, I focused on and empathized with the son.
Meanwhile, as Ren starts rapping, she starts to get it and, well, the next 10 minutes are an absolute delight. Another gift I’ve received from watching all these reaction videos to Ren’s work is having my appreciation for rap grow. It’s strange that I’ve had this barrier to rap because I’ve always loved rhythm, cadence and wordplay — it’s one of the reasons I read and write poetry.
Anyway, I can tell this woman seriously loves rap and that made me open more to it and open more to her. By the end of the video, I thought these were two of the most authentic, cool reactors I’d met yet. (I only wish they’d had the full video with the monologue!). I also very much appreciate her vulnerability in sharing about her mental health struggles. Keep it up with the videos, you two!
Now, after watching close to 50 “Hi, Ren” reaction videos, the rest of this post will focus on some of my favorites. However, before I share them, I’d like to give some background about Ren Gill and share some of his struggles, because it will help illuminate why so many are reacting so positively to his work.
About Ren Gill
In my overview of the impact of “Hi, Ren”, I wrote:
(Ren Gill is) the following and so much more: a British singer-songwriter and rapper; a phenomenal guitarist; a writer of ingenious rhymes, perfectly-timed beats, and theatrical lyrics; a musical bard and a storytelling genius; a deep Soul diver and Lyme’s Disease survivor who has been through the wringer; and a singer of emotional range from the highest joys to the most crushing pains.
A few days after writing that post, in the comments of this reaction video, YouTube user Jens Randolff shared the following about Ren’s evolving health challenges:
“Ren pursued a career in music from an early age. In 2009, while studying music performance at Bath Spa University, he began to experience health issues and was struggling to attend his lectures. In 2010, he was signed by Sony Records and was working on an album when his health deteriorated to the point where he was unable to continue and subsequently dropped by Sony.
His illness often kept him in bed for up to 23 hours a day. Ren was initially diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome. It would take seven years before a doctor in Belgium finally correctly diagnosed Ren with autoimmunity, Lyme disease, and resulting damage to the brain, organs, and joints. Ren eventually underwent stem cell therapy in the United States, which improved his health, but it has not been a cure.
He is currently in Canada for more treatments and will have to be there for at least six months. Ren’s Canadian doctor discovered that Ren has also developed a condition called Mast Cell Activation Disorder, which has affected the myelin sheath in his brain, his thyroid, adrenals, and his bones.
Ren stated: “It’s a lot to wrap my head around having to be away from friends, family, and a successful career, and almost feels like a total juxtaposition to the fact that my music is blowing up right now and spreading to all corners of the world, but that’s life, we take the good with the bad.”
Randolff concluded, “Let’s keep supporting Ren and not pull a “Sony” on him as he undergoes his treatment. Check out his channel, listen to some of his earlier work, like and comment on his performances, and let’s lift Ren’s spirits. If you are a believer, pray for him. Ren is an artist with something to say to this generation, and his work is needed in these troubling times.” (emphasis mine)
Thank you for this summary, Jenns, and I very much agree with your conclusion.
Why Reaction Vids to “Hi, Ren” Are Inspiring Me
There is a method to my madness in using that post from a fellow fan of Ren. You see, ever since I first used the Internet in the mid-1990s, I’ve intuited that it could be used to create a world — and yes, economy — much more based on cooperation and connection than on competition and winners and losers.
I’ve been disheartened at times that this potential hasn’t manifested, but the community reaction to Ren from fans, reactors and Ren himself has rekindled my hope. Perhaps I was just impatient, or perhaps it’s been growing all along. Regardless, I love the idea of co-creating together, supporting each other across platforms so that we are all elevated.
What I Want From Reaction Videos and Why “Hi, Ren” is Special
For me, these are the five things I most want to see in reaction videos:
1. Genuine emotional reaction;
2. Some life wisdom inspired by the video;
3) Creative analysis of the song/artist/video;
4) Humor, funny comments, facial expressions, etc. and
5) most importantly, the reactor’s humanity shining through.
For the most part, every reaction video to “Hi, Ren” I’ve watched has had at least two of these and some have had all five because most songs don’t result in such a widespread, consistent overflow of positivity because most songs aren’t “Hi, Ren.” My journey watching these reactors has been a delight, often resulting in insight into the song and, more often than not, leaving me feeling inspired from witnessing the reactor’s emotional metamorphosis as the song reaches its climactic end and Ren delivers that deep ode to humanity in the closing monologue.
By sharing links to many reaction videos, I’m inviting you to take a similar journey, especially if “Hi, Ren” is a song and performance you don’t mind seeing and hearing many times. I believe the experience of seeing the reactions to this song by people with very different backgrounds and unique perspectives is a project that will lift your spirits and broaden your empathy.
Last, Ren’s work and life suggest the more open and vulnerable we are, the higher the highs and the lower the lows we can feel. Another way of saying that is, the more we allow ourselves to feel, the wider that pendulum’s swing can be, or the larger that eternal dance floor can be. My feeling is that, in general, the reactors in these videos who express the most emotions are likely the most open and vulnerable and thus can relate in a more visible way to “Hi, Ren” and probably any art that moves them.
A Long List of Reaction Videos to “Hi, Ren” That I Loved
By no means are the following the only great Reaction Videos to “Hi, Ren,” they are just some of my favorites (I’ve put links to the videos in the text and thumbnails at the bottom of each favorite):
I’d never seen this guy before but it’s very touching to watch how moved he is by “Hi Ren” — -and I shared a few tears and laughs with him as he tried not to become overwhelmed by his emotions.
Also, it’s super cool to see that Ren posted a really nice reply in the comments and they exchanged some great words. This is something I’ve seen Ren do with a lot of these reaction videos. Again, this points to why my hope for the humanizing potential of the Internet has been rekindled through this project.
I really love how this woman has both an earnest emotional reaction to “Hi, Ren” and offers psychological insight, too. She’s one of the reactors whose channel I am now happily following.
Besides Chief’s reaction, this next one probably hit me the hardest. I think it relates to what I said about the people who have been through the biggest challenges probably will react the strongest to “Hi, Ren.” It also might be that this gal just has a really amazing, expressive face. Either way, it’s priceless. Get your tissues ready.
I really love the fullness of this next one, the way the reactor is clearly moved by the music and lyrics, how he appreciates the performance, and then how he takes the time to find a different metaphor than Ren’s that says the same thing: Rather than fighting with the Devil, learn to dance with it becomes rather than struggling against the current of the River, learn to flow with it. As a Nature boy, I told this British reactor, “Good one, mate!”
Watch this bro get gobsmacked, bro! This one makes my list because I love how much time he takes with the song and he has a self-deprecating, endearing sense of humor and self. He also picks up on a key line from the ending monologue, “There were no real winners or losers in psychological warfare, only victims and students.” In that lyric, Ren shows he shifted from victim mode (which also has him playing bully and Savior) and entered into the healthier way we can relate to our challenges — -as things we can learn from and thus grow into something so much better.
“This boy is preaching the Gospel here,” this pastor says as he pauses Ren after he stands on his own two feet, because Ren was “made by His hand, it’s all part of His plan.” “But he’s doing it in the most amazing way. That’s great,” the pastor continues. Love that this man delved into the spiritual side of “Hi, Ren.”
Okay, this is the last of my list of favorites: At this point of the following video, this reactor has, so far, the most intense and understanding reaction of what I think is one of the most profound lines from the monologue, “The more intensely the light shines, the darker the shadow is.”
When I witnessed that I had the thought, not for the first time over the past several years: The reason we are seeing so much darkness and Shadow in the world, is because our light, the Light, is growing.
Best of the Rest
Now, over the past several days, I’ve slowed up in watching “Hi, Ren” reaction videos. But there are still lots of good ones, new ones are being made every day, and some are listed below (this time without the thumbnails to shorten the blog). If you have a favorite I’ve missed, please post it in the Comments! Like the ones above, you can click on the text link to watch them. Here they are:
Besides saying things like “Powerful,” “heavy on my heart,” “a bit traumatized by the pig at the start,” “one thing that stood out was hope,” she’s pretty much rendered speechless.
Two bros (cousins?) love this “excellent art,” and make the Gollum/Smeagle LOTR connection. “This is the song of the year, of 2022!” “It feels like a play, a performance.” “This guy’s a genius!”
A psychotherapist jives with Ren’s message of the eternal dance inside human nature.
Two metalheads are “captivated.”
Two hip-hop fans give a standing ovation for this song that was “creative and true.”
These two love the pendulum metaphor for life that Ren shares in the monologue, because “as dark as it gets, it will get equally as light.”
This rapper shares how his experiences with that negative voice of depression connect him to Ren, sheds a tear and lands on, “Yo, let’s go with hope. Hell yeah.” Hell yeah for hope, indeed.
Yet another who is astonished at the art, but the first to compare “Hi, Ren” to Van Gogh. Nah, man, I’ve got no problems with it, either. After all, it’s easy to forget that great works of art and their artists had contemporaries who, if they were paying attention, could have been living witnesses to the birth of that art. Ironically, such was not the case for Van Gogh. I’m grateful we aren’t making the same mistake with Ren and “Hi, Ren.”
This vocal coach not only has a well-produced channel, he shares some nice insights and, at the end, gives some good information on Lyme’s Disease and what Ren has been through.
I hope you enjoyed this post and, even more, some of these wonderful reaction videos to this amazing, inspiring song. In future posts, I hope to share more of this kind of stuff, moments when art breaks open my heart, because I really do feel humanity’s biggest challenge is more in matters of the heart than the head.
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